MAD Architecture, led by Ma Yansong, in partnership with China Academy of Building Research Co., Ltd., has won the international design competition for the Chongqing Cuntan International Cruise Center.
The Chongqing Cuntan International Cruise Center is situated in the Cuntan Port area of Liangjiang New District, Chongqing, which serves as the core zone of the Cuntan International Cruise Home Port. Currently functioning as a cargo terminal, the site will be transformed into a world-class international cruise home port and urban complex.
The project spans 66,000 square meters, with a total built-up area of 65,000 square meters. This includes a 15,000-square-meter cruise port and a 50,000-square-meter commercial zone. The international competition was organized by the Chongqing Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, together with the Liangjiang New Area Management Committee and Chongqing Jiangbeizui Investment Group, attracting dozens of design teams from seven countries and regions.
Ma Yansong shared his vision for the project’s overall renovation: “Chongqing is a city of mountains and waters. The Yangtze River here is not only a natural landscape but also a dynamic force shaped by human activities like shipping and industrial transport.”
“Our goal is to transform this industrial energy into imaginative energy, where visitors can experience the city’s kinetic spirit and envision future public spaces.”
The ‘Dragon Gate Crane’
A Futuristic Walking City in the Sky
During an on-site visit, Ma Yansong was captivated by the large, bright orange gantry cranes dominating the cargo terminal. He described them as “living extraterrestrial creatures” that create a surreal visual experience.
“Our design aims to honor this industrial heritage while embracing its unique surrealism. The imagined buildings resemble mobile cities that seem to have arrived from elsewhere or may one day journey on, embodying a futuristic spirit.”
The 430-meter-long Yangtze River Observation Sky Street is composed of six independent yet interconnected elevated buildings. From afar, the flowing form of the “gantry crane” echoes the vibrant rhythm of industrial freight terminal cranes through its color and spatial dynamics.
Elevated above ground, the structure offers unobstructed views of the river, bypassing dock machinery. Its aluminum metal curtain wall adds a surreal quality, refreshing the multifunctional spaces inside, which include urban reception areas, shops, and restaurants.
Urban Public Space
Landscape Green Axis with Varied Site Elevations
Below the “floating” structures lies the cruise landscape park and cruise hall. MAD’s design extends the central golden axis of Cuntan towards the dock, linking the riverside dock park with Century Cuntan Park behind it to create nearly 100,000 square meters of green urban space integrated seamlessly with the central axis.
This approach ensures that even visitors not taking a cruise can freely enjoy the natural beauty of the city and the Yangtze River.
The cruise center’s hub hall is positioned beneath the landscape park, accessible both from the floating gantry crane and the ground-level park. Natural light enters the interior through skylights, while the cantilevered upper buildings provide shade from direct sunlight.
Upon completion, the Cuntan International Cruise Center will transform industrial memories into urban imagination, becoming an iconic landmark in Chongqing.
In April 2021, Chongqing approved the overall plan for Cuntan International New City, including the urban design for the cruise homeport area. The core cruise homeport zone spans 1.6 square kilometers within a total planned area of approximately 6 square kilometers.
The development aims to create an integrated system combining shipping, port facilities, urban life, tourism, shopping, and entertainment, establishing the world’s first inland cruise port.
The Cuntan International Cruise Center is slated to begin construction in November 2022, with completion expected in 2027.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ Analysis Diagram
△ Analysis Diagram
△ Analysis Diagram
△ Analysis Diagram
△ Analysis Diagram
△ Analysis Diagram
△ Analysis Diagram
Project Information
Type: Public Transportation
Site Area: 66,000 square meters
Total Built Area: 65,000 square meters
Cruise Port: 15,000 square meters
Commercial Space: 50,000 square meters
Lead Partners: Ma Yansong, Party Masses, Yokosuke Hayano
Lead Vice Partner: Liu Huiying
Design Team: Yang Xuebing, Lei Kaiyun, Wang Ruipeng, Chen Wei, Ning Tong, Wang Yiding
Consortium: China Academy of Building Research Co., Ltd.
Bidding Team: Xiao Congzhen, Wang Jun, Ren Zhixiang, Wang Yi, Ba Rong, Chen Zhenjiang, Chu Jianwei, Zhao Yanping, Xu Yuqi, Tang Jiewei, Gao Tian, Zhang Xiaoxuan, Li Chaohui, Sun Ruisi, Chang Guibin, Feng Jiaying
Owner: Chongqing Cuntan International Cruise Homeport Development Co., Ltd.
Host: Office of the Leading Group for Development and Construction of Chongqing Cuntan Area
Organizer: Chongqing Jiangbeizui Central Business District Investment Group Co., Ltd.
Guiding Unit: Chongqing Planning and Natural Resources Bureau
Consulting Firm: China Architectural Society
Organizational Unit: Chongqing Planning and Design Institute
Construction Period: 2021–2027
Location: Chongqing, China
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up